07 Aug 2021

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Chinese Embassy in Botswana recently donated Personal Protective Equipment (PPE’s) to Botswana, to ensure that healthcare workers were well protected as they continue in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The batch of PPEs worth US$60 000 comprised 1 900 isolation gowns, 20 boxes of examination gloves, 40 boxes of surgical gloves, 40 boxes surgical masks, 1 650 goggles, 1 980 face shields and 1900 coveralls. 

Receiving the donation in Gaborone last Thursday, Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Edwin Dikoloti expressed government's gratitude, saying the donation could not have come at a better time when the burden of the pandemic was much higher and stretching Botswana’s health facilities and resources to the limit. 

Dr Dikoloti said Botswana, like the rest of the world, was in need of PPEs as the number of new cases continued to rise at an alarming rate. 

He said front-liners needed to be well equipped and well-armed with the right protective clothing, to guarantee their safety, especially now when the pandemic has taken a turn for the worse. 

“Any danger in their line of duty is a danger to the recipients of their services, therefore we cannot afford to have them unprotected,” he said. 

Dr Dikoloti further thanked health workers and all frontline workers for their continued dedication and commitment in the fight against COVID-19. 

For his part, the Chinese Ambassador to Botswana, Mr Wang Xuefeng said it was important that China and Botswana work together to address COVID-19 challenges through mutual support and assistance. 

Mr Wang said he believed that the supplies would meet Botswana's urgent needs and help the frontline health workers protect themselves, while fighting against the third wave of COVID-19. 

He said the whole world was facing an unprecedented global health threat, adding that solidarity and cooperation was the most powerful weapon. 

He added that the Chinese government had been working closely with the Botswana government since the start of the pandemic and had donated much-needed medical supplies including 200 000 doses of Sinovac vaccines. 

Meanwhile, Dr Wang spoke against stigmatising the pandemic, putting a geographic label on the virus and politicising the origin study and called for strengthening of international vaccine cooperation to save lives, rather than political manipulation and finger pointing. 

He revealed that China would host the first meeting of the International Forum on COVID-19 Vaccine Cooperation, to strengthen international cooperation on vaccines, promoting fair and equitable distribution of vaccines around the world. 

Dr Wang said the meeting would also contribute to assist in vaccine accessibility and affordability in developing countries, including Botswana.  

He said China would continue to stand side by side with Botswana in facing the e challenges of the pandemic. 

“We are looking forward to building an even closer partnership with the UNFPA and the Government of Botswana to strengthen mutual trust and coordination in concerted efforts to ensure a healthy and prosperous future for Botswana,” he stated. 

For her part, Head of the UNFPA Botswana Office, Ms Mareledi Segotso thanked the Chinese government for the generous financial support.  

Ms Segotso said through funding from the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) they had received US$500,000 on a project under the framework of the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund. 

She said the aim of the project was to strengthen the prevention, control and response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to procure contraceptives, which they were expecting in a few months. Ends